City holds meeting to discuss roundabout

Waynesville residents were able to express their concerns about the possibility of a roundabout being constructed at the intersection of highways T and 17 Tuesday night.

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By Natalie Sandersmsnataliesanders@gmail.com

The Daily Guide - Waynesville, MO

By Natalie Sandersmsnataliesanders@gmail.com

Posted Jun. 26, 2013 at 4:27 PM
Updated Jun 26, 2013 at 4:42 PM

By Natalie Sandersmsnataliesanders@gmail.com

Posted Jun. 26, 2013 at 4:27 PM
Updated Jun 26, 2013 at 4:42 PM

Waynesville residents were able to express their concerns about the possibility of a roundabout being constructed at the intersection of highways T and 17 Tuesday night.

Around 80 people attended the meeting to ask questions and express concerns to the city administration including mayor Luge Hardman, council members Diane Stanford, Tim Mann, Ed Conley, Jim Mathews, Michael Curtis and Jerry Brown, city administrator Bruce Harrill, as well as Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) Meramec area engineer Preston Kramer.

Hardman opened the meeting by telling the crowd that changes to the intersection as well as others, such as Old H Highway and the planned installation of a signal light in the Hunter's Point area, are part of the city's comprehensive plan for improvement. She said she had spoken to officials in Rolla and Lebanon about the roundabouts located in those cities to see how they felt about them now that they are in use.

Hardman reported that Rolla officials said that their roundabouts have slowed down traffic and helped end problems with serious accidents, while Lebanon had positive comments as well before turning the meeting over to Kramer.

Kramer discussed the options that the city and MoDOT have been considering for the intersection including a signal light, three-way stop and the roundabout, stating clearly that MoDOT favored a roundabout, but the decision would ultimately be the city's.

Hardman said the city had already dismissed the possibility of a three-way stop and Harrill said the city would likely be making a final decision by July or August.

Citizens attending the meeting expressed a myriad of concerns and offered suggestions such as adding a right turn lane onto T highway if a roundabout is constructed, what the construction would do to traffic, as well as how much property MoDOT would have to acquire to build a roundabout.

Kramer said no matter what is ultimately decided to do at the intersection construction would cause delays, but MoDOT would try to minimize the impact as much as possible.

Property owners like Sylvester Bruington were especially concerned with how much property they may lose to improvements to the intersection. Kramer said he couldn't answer the question on specific property, but from the plans they had so far it was "strips."

Hardman said the project will be engineered in 2014 and won't be built until 2015 once a final decision is made between a roundabout and a signal light.